Breaking Free - Girlfriends in God

August 31, 2016
Breaking Free
Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1 NIV).

Friend to Friend

Slavery is one of the prevailing metaphors and predominant themes in the Bible. Joseph was sold into slavery, the Israelites were forced into slavery, and God set His people free from slavery.

Most likely you can’t relate to being a slave, but you probably can relate to the idea of being in bondage in some area of your life.

A controlling parent
An addictive behavior
An out of control emotion
A fear of the future
A shameful past
A need for a man
A lustful eye
A desire for approval
An obsession with a goal
A co-dependent relationship
A guilty conscience

Each of these conditions can cause you to be tied up in knots and held captive to the point that you’re stuck in a prison of your own making, never realizing that the door has been swung wide open for your release.

Rebekah and Brian had been married for twelve years. During that time he had several affairs. Sometime during his third bout of unfaithfulness, Brian decided he wanted a divorce. Rebekah was left with two wonderful children, a broken heart, and an urgent need to fill the void in her life with another man.

She hooked up with the first man that showed her any attention, and in short order, he moved into her home. Family, friends, and co-workers warned Rebekah that she was making a bad decision. She claimed to be a Christian, but turned a blind eye to God’s commands about sex outside of marriage.

During the past five years, her life has been a roller coaster of disappointment with the current man, disillusionment of her children, and distancing from her family. And while she has tried to break free of the unhealthy and ungodly relationship, she keeps taking him back time and time again. You cannot continue to do something that you know is wrong and expect to have an outcome that is right.

Rebekah is a slave to her loneliness and misguided thinking that she needs a man to fix it. I dare say that loneliness is one of the key reasons for poor decisions among many women today…and the devil takes advantage of the void with enticing lies of great proportion.

Every believer has been given the power to break free and to live free, but God’s not going to force anyone. There is always a choice.

If you feel that you need someone to help you break free from an addictive behavior or habit pattern, find someone to help you! Do whatever it takes, but don’t try to do it on your own strength or with your own power. God has given you the power of the Holy Spirit to help you get through it and be finished with it. Get a prayer partner, an accountability partner, a Christian counselor, or a support group. God created us to live in community and need the support of other people.

That’s one reason Girlfriends in God exists. We are here to lock arms with you, and stand with you to do the hard thing…to do the best thing.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, thank You for setting me free. Forgive me for slipping those shackles on my wrists and getting myself in terrible situations by making bad choices. Help me to live free and not get tangled up in situations that will put me back into the bondage from which You gave Your life to set me free.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Is there any area of your life where you are not free in Christ?

Go back and look at the short list above.

If you need prayer, click over to my Facebook page and leave a request. You don’t have to share all the details, just as much or as little as you’d like. Then pray for the sister’s name above yours. We’re in this together!

More from the Girlfriends

Today’s devotion came from my latest book, Take Hold of the Faith You Long For: Let Go, Move Forward, Live Bold. Just as a trapeze artist who grabs hold of a second bar, but refuses to let go of the first, we can get stuck in our faith when we refuse to let go of all that holds us back. It’s time to let go of all that holds us hostage to a “less than” life…and that includes comparing ourselves to others. Let’s take hold of all that Jesus has already taken hold of for us and placed in us! Check it out at www.takeholdthebook.comwhere you can download a free chapter and watch a video book trailer. The book also comes with a Bible study guide. Make sure and sign upfor my weekly blog to learn when the free online Bible study will begin in the fall.